Saint of the Day – 9 May – St Beatus (3rd Century) Confessor, Hermit, Missionary (probably a Priest), Miracle-worker. Born in Vendôme and died near Laon, France. Also known as Bienheuré, Beat.. Beatus is identified with a Missionary who travelled and preached in, besides Vendôme, Garonne, Laon and Nantes. His place of death is considered to have been Chevresson, near Laon.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “In the castle of Windisch, the decease of St Beatus, Confessor.”
A great deal of confusion reigns in regard to St Beatus of the region of Vendôme. There is another Saint also venerated today of the same name but who lived and evangelised in Switzerland .
Our St Beatus is renowned for his battle and triumph over a dragon (this dragon is symbolic of either the paganism rife in that time or heresy). He had fasted and prayed before fighting this dragon who had been the terror of the region. According to the tradition, the dragon was so large that when it went to drink from a river at some distance away, its tail still lay in its cave. It was also so large that it completely drained the Loire river when it drank.
There are three versions of this combat: the first states that the dragon fled at the sight of our Saint making the Sign of the Cross; the second version states that St Beatus defeated the dragon with one blow from his staff; the third states that the dragon strangled itself with its chain.
A Chapel dating from the 5th Century was built on the hillside where he is said to have lived.
AnaStpaul 